Game Over
by Merlin71
Summary: What surprises does Atlantis have in store for Sheppard and Ronon? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**GAME OVER...part one**

"Break time!" John called out, already slowing his speed. He came to a stop and hunched over, hands on his knees, waiting for Ronon to jog back to him.

"We haven't been running that long," Ronon complained, even as he pulled out his water bottle and took a long swig.

John nodded, reaching for his own bottle and downing a few swallows before explaining. Although he was a bit surprised that Ronon hadn't made some taunt about him being an old man, like he normally would. "Something feels different," he said.

Ronon eyed him a moment, then nodded. "Thought so," he said. "You've been off since we hit this section."

"What's that supposed to mean?" John wasn't sure if he should be offended or not.

"It means what it means," Ronon replied. "You were keeping up until twenty minutes ago when we hit this section. Then you lost stride."

John was impressed, because Ronon was right. He wasn't really surprised though. The Satedan very seldom missed any kind of detail. Which was part of what made him such an excellent tracker.

Ronon clapped John on the shoulder, an lazy cuff that almost knocked him off his feet. The big guy never seemed able to judge his own strength. Then again, he was probably just messing with John. "So what's wrong?" Ronon prompted.

"Wish I knew." John felt uneasy and jumpy, and he really couldn't explain why. But something was different in this section. It was an area that was still unexplored. A couple of months ago, John had talked Elizabeth into letting him and Ronon take their daily run into uncharted territory in Atlantis.

Mostly they found nothing, but at times they reported something unusual and Rodney and his team would come check it out. They had discovered a new lab, some equipment that turned out to be useful to Beckett, and what appeared to be a weapons room. That particular area had severe water damage though, so they had blocked it off. They had also discovered another living area, with bigger quarters, and Elizabeth had allowed senior staff to move there. John had taken advantage of it, and had finished moving yesterday, with Ronon and Teyla's help. His main reason for moving was a bigger bed. Twice as big as his last one and far more comfortable. Which he had taunted Rodney about this morning in the mess, when he'd stopped in for a quick glass of OJ before hooking up with Ronon.

Realizing that he was being watched, and that Ronon was starting to look a bit concerned, John shook himself out of his momentary reverie and grinned. "No worries, big guy." He clapped Ronon on the back, harder than was strictly neccessary, and was a bit peeved that the Satedan didn't budge even a fraction. Swallowing a sigh, John continued. "I'm just having one of those someone's walking over my grave moments."

"Huh." Ronon made a face, and it was pretty obvious he didn't get the reference, but then he shrugged. "We gonna keep going or are we done for the day?"

"Keep going." John capped his water bottle, tucked it back into the strap he'd made for it on his belt, and headed off again. A heartbeat later Ronon flew by him and John huffed a bit then picked up his own pace. He would never be able to out run the Satedan, without turning into a bug again, but he had gotten faster since he'd started running with him. Ronon was good at pushing him to his limits and beyond.

So they ran for another twenty minutes, until they hit an abrupt dead end.

Ronon had skidded to a halt in front of the wide expanse of dark gray wall. "Weird," he said, as he ran a hand over it.

"You can say that again," John drawled, pressing his own palm over the, surprisingly warm, metal surface. He could feel a tingling where his skin touched. He'd felt this a few times before, since coming to Atlantis. Not that he'd told anyone about it. Nor had he ever mentioned the hum that connected him to the city. The moment he had stepped through the gate and set foot on Atlantis, she had hummed for him. It had freaked John out a bit at first, but now the feeling, the sense of her, was comforting. This hum, however, seemed different.

"We'll have to turn back," Ronon stated.

John didn't respond. He closed his eyes and reached out, trying to make an viable connection. It was what he did in the chair. Why he connected better than the others with the gene. Rodney had asked him about it once, but John hadn't been able to find the words to explain it. He just did it, by instinct, like flying. And you couldn't explain someone who had never flown a chopper what that felt like either.

Ronon clomped his way over to John. "Sheppard," he said loudly. "You ready to go or are you taking a nap?"

"Shh!" John hissed. He was feeling something. There was a heat to the tingling now, and he slid his hand around the wall, seeking something out. Something he couldn't define but he knew it was there. Mentally he visualized unlocking a door and suddenly he pulled away as a panel slid aside, revealing an opening. "So, not a dead end," John muttered.

"How'd you do that?" Ronon asked, as he peered over John's shoulder.

John shrugged. "Just did it." He knew Ronon wouldn't press him for more. And he didn't. Instead the Satedan nudged John aside and stepped through the opening.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ronon asked, "You coming?" It sounded a bit like a challenge really.

"Uh, yeah," John replied, hesitantly. He had a bad feeling about this. A tie-your-stomach-in-a-knot kind of feeling. Part of him wanted to go in and explore, but something was holding him back.

"Come on, it's just a room." Ronon reached out, snagged John by the arm, and yanked him through.

The moment John was on the other side, the panel snapped back into place.

Panic set in and John pulled away from Ronon and ran to the panel, pressing both palms against the spot. Nothing happened. He had a really bad feeling about this and he said as much.

Ronon didn't look all that happy himself. He practically shoved John aside and pounded his fists on the panel.

John knew it wasn't going to help, but he let the Satedan bang for a moment. While Ronon was thus occupied, John tapped his ear piece. "Elizabeth, come in, it's Sheppard." He waited for a reply and got nothing. So he tried Rodney next. Still nothing.

By this time, Ronon had stopped banging and was watching him. "We're cut off." It was a statement, not a question.

"Seems like," John allowed. "Maybe they can hear us though and we just can't hear them?" And hoping he was right, John left a message for McKay. "I told you what section we were running in this morning so just scan us for a location. We're trapped in a room and if you can hear us, FYI, we can't hear you." With that he clicked off.

"We'll figure a way out," Ronon said simply, watching John. "You always figure something out.

John didn't have a reply for that, although he was much touched by Ronon's faith in him than he was ever likely to admit. Even to himself. He did give a nod, however, knowing that the Satedan wasn't big on words anyway. Which was nice at times like this. When he wanted to be able to think without distractions.

Moving to the far wall, John pressed a hand to the surface. The hum was different, yet again, here. He slid his hand along slowly, feeling the tingling sensation building until it was almost painful. Without warning a panel snapped open, the shock of it sending John stumbling back into a solid bulk.

Ronon was there, steadying John, a grin on his face. "Knew you'd find the way out."

"Might just be another empty room," John felt the need to point out.

"Could be," Ronon allowed, with a shrug. But he was also a quick learner and he didn't step through the opening, he merely leaned in. "Dark in there."

John leaned in on the other side. It was pitch black and he hated the fact that they didn't have weapons on them. John was disinclined to carry one while running. He hated the idea of needing to be armed in the city when he was doing something as benign as getting some exercise. He figured if he ran with a gun strapped to his leg, that meant he was paranoid. John preferred to be labeled as cautious. But right now he really wished he had a gun on him.

Apparently Ronon could read his mind, because a knife suddenly appeared and was held out to him.

"Thanks." John took it, hefting it in his fist while watching as Ronon pulled a matching knife out of his hair. He had a fondness for the Satedan's dreadlocks. He vaguely wondered if Rodney could make a miniaturized stunner that Ronon could hide in there.

"Ready?" Ronon asked, as he hefted his own blade.

John nodded and stepped through the opening. To his surprise, the room lit up as each step. But he also noticed that the moment Ronon had stepped through, the panel snapped closed and as he moved forward, the darkness fell in behind them. There was just enough light to guide them down a narrow corridor. Narrow to the point where they could only travel single file and John noticed Ronon's shoulders nearly brushed the sides. He was beginning to feel a bit claustraphobic.

They walked for what John judged to be about twenty minutes when the corridor opened up and the light brightened and expanded, revealing a small chamber.

Before they could study their surroundings, a holographic figure appeared. It was a man, dressed in blue robes. "Will you play the game?" he asked.

"What game?" John countered, his knife to the ready, even though he knew he couldn't use it on a hologram.

"Will you play the game?" the holograph repeated, looking through John rather than at him.

Before John could respond, Ronon stepped foward with a reply.

A resounding, "Yes!"

John didn't have time to yell, no time to warn Ronon. A flash of bright light nearly blinded him, but he still darted in front of the Satedan, just in time for the silver beam that burst forth from the hologram to hit him squarely in the chest. In seconds John was enveloped in what felt like pure fire. It surged through his veins, flickered over his skin and seeped into his brain. He was burning and melting and the pain was excruciating, but he didn't make a sound. He wasn't sure he could even breathe.

Just when he was certain he would explode from the pain, it stopped. In the space from one heartbeat to the next, it was gone and John felt a relief so intense it was almost painful in itself. He also felt himself falling, his muscles feeling suddenly liquified. He felt himself hit the floor hard.

Ronon leaped towards John, but he was too late to catch him. So he knelt beside him, feeling for a pulse. "Sheppard! Can you hear me?"

John wanted to respond but he wasn't sure he remembered how to speak. He wasn't sure that it wouldn't hurt to say the words. He was afraid that the pain would come back. So afraid that he felt himself tremble at the thought.

"Sheppard?" Ronon gathered John into his arms, supporting the limp body as best he could.

The contact made John whimper. His skin felt sensitive against the courseness of Ronon's flesh and his own clothes felt too rough. He tried to tell Ronon not to touch him but sucking in enough air to speak made him choke. John coughed until he felt like he was going to puke. He felt Ronon holding him, heard his clumsy attempt to soothe him. Then the coughing fit was over and John realized he could breathe again.

He shifted in Ronon's hold and it was a relief not to feel pain. The sensitivity had lessened. So he turned his head and stared into brown eyes that were nearly black with worry.

"I'm..okay," John whispered.

"Thought I'd lost you." Ronon was always one for being blunt.

John made a sound that was meant to be laughter. Guess he'd have to work up to that. "Almost...almost wish...you had." He felt Ronon flinch and realized he had just given away the fact that what had just happened to him had been pure agony. He'd have to remember to order Ronon not to repeat that to anyone, especially Beckett, when they got out of here.

Moving carefully, Ronon stood up, drawing John with him. "Sorry about what happened," he said, his voice deeper than usual.

"You didn't know," John replied, letting Ronon support him, even as he let him off the hook. Mostly. He took a moment to find his own balance, realized he could stand without help and shrugged Ronon off him. Turning carefully, John locked eyes with Ronon. "Just don't agree to anything else. Okay?"

"You shouldn't have jumped in front of me." Ronon made it sound almost like an accusation.

John resisted the urge to sigh. "Trust me, I won't do that again."

The hologram suddenly reappeared. "You may proceed to the next level," he stated.

Behind them, a panel opened.

John looked at Ronon. He wasn't sure he wanted to continue, but it wasn't really like they had a choice. It was continue on or stay trapped in the room. Hoping against hope, John tapped his ear piece. "Elizabeth?" He waited a few beats, but wasn't surprised that there was no response. Tapping off, he looked at Ronon, who nodded.

"I'll go first," Ronon said, stepping through the opening.

Pausing a moment to wish he could click his heels three times and will himself back to his room, John allowed himself a heartfelt sigh before stepping through himself. Into pitch black darkness.

With a snap the panel closed behind him.

OoO

Elizabeth was trying to enjoy her breakfast when Rodney stormed into her office, looking riled.

"Something's wrong!" he declared, somewhat dramatically, the effect spoiled just a tiny bit by the fact that he looked like he was about to drool over her toasted english muffin.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth prompted, before taking a bite of the muffin and chewing slowly.

Rodney seemed to shake himself before replying, making a point to look away from the muffin. "Sheppard is missing."

Elizabeth wiped her mouth with a napkin then chuckled. "He's not missing. He's running with Ronon."

"They're always done by 8am," Rodney countered. "It's now almost nine."

"Maybe they ran longer today?" Elizabeth replied. And that seemed totally reasonable to her.

But Rodney was shaking his head. "I tried to reach him, and Ronon. They're not responding. And, no they didn't forget their radios. I know Sheppard had his because I saw him in the mess right before his run."

Elizabeth was surprised to hear that. "What were you doing up that early, Rodney?"

"I couldn't sleep. Bad back," Rodney replied, trying to look pitiful, but failing miserably.

"We'll talk about you moving to new quarters some other time," Elizabeth said firmly.

Rodney looked peeved, then shrugged it off in favor of shoving his laptop under her nose. "For the record, I tried to scan their location. Sheppard gave me the basic area this morning and there's nothing there. So I did a head count. Everyone is accounted for with the exception of two people. Guess who?"

Elizabeth winced. She was starting to get a knot in her stomach. Leave it to Sheppard to be the one to make her feel this way. He had a knack for finding trouble. "Get Teyla and Lorne and take Beckett with you just in case. Find them."

"We are already ready," Said a voice from the doorway.

Looking over Rodney's shoulder, Elizabeth saw Teyla, who had spoken, standing next to Major Lorne and Dr. Beckett. Elizabeth couldn't help smiling as she focused back on Rodney. "Looks like you have everything under control. Just keep me updated.

Rodney looked a bit smug, but it was overrided by the worry that glimmered in his eyes. "I'll find them," he promised.

Elizabeth nodded and watched them go. Then she pushed away her breakfast, closed her eyes, and prayed.

**THE END...of part one**


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the fabulous reviews. Since FF is being touchy, I got frustrated with trying to reply to everyone, so instead I'll just give you all a GROUP HUG and say THANKS SO VERY MUCH for reading. Hope you like what's to come. You all rock like a rocking thing!!!

**GAME OVER...part 2**

It was pitch black dark, John ached from the inside out and fear was now curling up inside him from the pit of his stomach. This was definitely not one of his better days. Realizing that they had to do something, he was about to ask for suggestions when Ronon beat him to it.

"Now what?" The Satedan's voice echoed around them.

Which made John lose track of where he was standing. He'd thought Ronon was to his left for some reason, but now the big guy almost sounded like he was above John. Looking up in total darkness was a bad idea, however, since it left John with a feeling of vertigo and he forced himself not to stumble. He was afraid of what he might step in.

Realizing that Ronon was still waiting for a reply, John countered with, "Good question." He contemplated a moment then asked, hopefully, "You wouldn't happen to have any flashlights hidden somewhere handy, would you?"

"Not today," Ronon replied. "Left them in my other pants."

His reply was so perfectly deadpan that John found himself laughing, and taking note of the fact that someone was being a bad influence on the Satedan. After quelling his laughter, John made a decision. "We need to find a way out, so maybe we can pick a direction, find a wall and follow it." It was all he could think of, even though he really dreaded the thought of moving.

Ronon grunted, sounding like he was somewhere close to John's right elbow. "I'll go first. Wait for my signal." He made a sound like he was already in motion.

Which meant John didn't get a chance to veto that idea. He was the leader and he should go first. He was about ro remind Ronon of that fact when a cry rang out. "Ronon!" John listened hard, hearing only a whooshing sound, then a thud in response. He didn't have to see to know what that sound meant. Only he prayed with all his might that he was wrong. "Ronon?" He whispered the Satedan's name while fighting the urge to move. More than ever, John's instincts were telling him to keep still.

The silence continued, so John got louder. "Ronon!" He waited a twenty second count then felt panic start to sweep over him. "Guess Rodney's rubbing off on me," John muttered, trying to distract himself from what he feared was the truth. But it was freaking being surrounded by darkness, and it was making him one step from insane not knowing if Ronon was dead.

Shaking his head in the hopes of shaking off his fear, John made a mental note not to do that again. Head shaking equaled intense pain in his temples. Pain that made his eyes water and his stomach roil with nausea. It took a moment of shallow breathing to ease both the pain and the nausea, but by then John felt an almost eerie calm. He made one last attempt to call Ronon and when the Satedan didn't answer, John tapped his radio.

No surprise that he got no response. He hadn't expected too. But he had to do something. "Think, John," he chided himself. "What would Rodney do?" The answer came to him in a rush and almost made him laugh. "Panic. Bad idea. Um...there has to be a way to make the lights come on!" And in that moment it hit John like a slap in the face. He was on Atlantis and Atlantis liked him. A lot. She turned on the lights for him all the time. She let him do a lot of other things too. Things he never told anyone about, not even Rodney. Things like turning on lights and setting the temperature in his room just the way he wanted, and she even played music for him at night. Haunting melodies he'd never heard before and he had yet to figure out where the music came from. Maybe, when he and Ronon were back to the others and safe, maybe he would tell Rodney about the music.

Right now he needed to focus on finding out if Ronon was alive. So he closed his eyes, even though it seemed almost stupid to do so in the dark, and concentrated on making it light. After a moment he sensed a change around him, but he kept his eyes closed for the moment, still thinking lights and on and bright. Then he took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.

"Oh...shit," John blurted out, as he caught sight of his surroundings. The lights were on, almost too bright, and they revealed something that made John almost sway and lose his balance.

He was in a circular chamber with a cross-shaped cat walk for a floor. What he was standing on was a two foot wide beam and one false step meant a forty foot drop to the floor. "That can't be good," John whispered to himself. Because he knew that Ronon must have taken that fall. Swallowing the bile that clogged his throat, John peered over the side. His breath caught in his lungs when he spotted a crumpled figure below.

"Sonofabitch!" John let anger wash away his fear for the moment. He needed to get down to check on Ronon but it didn't look like there was a way other than to jump. The two walkway beams lead to four openings, but John couldn't be sure if one of them would lead to the bottom. But it looked like he was going to have to try them when he spotted something. A ladder.

Shrugging off a sudden wave of vertigo, John propelled himself towards the other walk beam. The ladder was at the intersection of it and the beam he was on. He ignored protesting muscles and the throbbing pain in his temples as he twisted around, stepped onto the first rung and climbed down. The moment he hit the floor he noticed something was odd about it. As worried as he was about Ronon, John took a moment to bounce on it. The stuff beneath his feet was cushiony. Which gave him hope. Maybe it was just soft enough to keep from breaking Ronon.

Rushing over to the Satedan's side, John fell to his knees beside the limp for, reaching out with a shaky hand to feel for a pulse. Release washed over him like a wave when he felt a strong beat under his fingertips. Ronon was alive. He allowed himself a smile and a shuddery breath before almost screaming when fingers banded over his wrist. John drew back his free arm, instinctively forming a fist, only to realize that it was Ronon who gripped him. A Ronon who was staring up at him with pain glazed eyes.

"Hey, big guy," John drawled. "It's just me. You okay?" Sure it was a stupid question, but John felt the need to ask it anyway. Ronon was tough, so maybe he would be able to walk away from this, relatively unscathed.

After a long moment of blinking hard and peering around, Ronon released John's wrist and attempted to sit up. He needed John's help to make it. "What happened?" he finally asked.

John almost felt like laughing, even though he wasn't sure what was funny. He was feeling kind of punch drunk at the moment. Giddy at the fact that Ronon was still alive. "You fell," he replied. "Are you hurt? Is anything broken?" John really really really hoped nothing was broken. Because no way in hell was he going to be able to carry Ronon about.

"Head hurts," Ronon said after a moment, one hand moving to the back of his head.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" John queried, holding up two.

Ronon winced then said, "Two."

Which made John very happy, and grateful that the Satedan had very thick hair. At least they weren't dealing with a bad concussion. Now for the rest of him. "What about your back and legs?" John was almost tempted to cross his fingers as he waited for an answer.

"I think I twisted my knee." This said with a grimace as Ronon shifted his left leg.

"That's not good," John muttered.

Then Ronon stated the obvious and managed to distract him. "You found the lights."

It was John's turn to grimace. "Sort of." He didn't explain further. Thankfully, Ronon wasn't a man who needed details.

"Know where we are?" Ronon had shifted up a bit more and was glancing about as he asked.

"Haven't a clue," John replied. "Radio is still dead so we're still on our own. Can you stand?" John rose to his feet then held out a hand, already bracing himself to haul Ronon upright. He knew this wasn't going to be easy on either of them if Ronon's leg wouldn't support him, at least a little. And it sucked all the more because John didn't have anything to bind it with to help.

Gritting his teeth, Ronon accepted John's hand and rose to his feet. He balanced on his good leg for a moment, sucked in a breath, then eased his weight onto the bad leg. It buckled almost immediately.

John caught Ronon, staggering a bit, feeling his own aches and pains flare up. "Maybe you should rest a bit," he suggested. "I can scout around and maybe find something useful." He was thinking a wheelchair would be good about now.

"No, we stay together!" Ronon stated, his tone sharp and firm. "It's safer that way and you know it," he added before John could protest. "And it's the only way I can keep an eye on you."

"Hey!" John was offended. Slightly. "You're the one who fell down," he pointed out.

Ronon gave him the Satedan equivalent of a stink eye. "Where's my knife?" he asked.

John glanced around, spotting the blade a few feet away. It was fortunate that Ronon hadn't landed on it and stabbed a vital organ or something, considering how shitty there luck was at this point. He picked it up, grimacing as he bent over and every muscle in his body protested. John made sure to hide his reaction as he walked over to Ronon to give his weapon back. "There's a door over there," John said, pointing off to his left. He had spotted it while grabbing the knife.

"Let's go." Ronon took one step, limping heavily, teeth gritted so hard John could hear the grinding sound and it made his own teeth ache.

"Lean on me," he ordered, moving to Ronon and slipping under one arm.

Ronon looked like he was going to push away for a moment, but then he accepted John's help and they moved off. Slowly.

It felt like it took hours to reach the doorway, but when John glanced at his watch it had only been a couple of minutes. Long, painful, minutes. He could tell that Ronon was trying not to put too much weight on him, but even a bit of weight made John's body ache from the strain of keeping them both upright.

But they made it through the doorway and, glory be, into a lighted corridor that looked perfectly normal. Which, at this point, kinda creeped John out. Mainly because he realized it had glass walls. Walls, through which, he could see water. Which meant they were below sea level. After a moment of outright staring, the panic faded into awe. "Wow," he whispered.

"Hope the walls don't crack," Ronon responded, obviously less impressed with the sight.

"Bite you tongue!" John shot back. He didn't want them buying trouble, it seemed to find them on it's own just fine. Thank you.

Ronon was frowning. "Why would I do that?" he queried.

It took John a moment to realize Ronon was taking his words at their literal meaning. "It's just a figure of speech," he replied. "It means don't say that cause it might come true. All things considered right now, I don't want to invite trouble."

"Good point." Ronon shifted a bit, wincing, then leaning back heavily on John. "We should keep moving."

"Yeah." John knew they should but he'd really prefer sitting down and taking a nap. Still, he shrugged Ronon's arm more firmly into place over his shoulder, then forged ahead.

OoO

Rodney was getting worried. As in massively worried. They had been searching for six hours with no sign of Sheppard and Ronon. That could not be good. It didn't help that Elizabeth radioed them for updates every hour. Rodney hated having to tell her they hadn't found them yet. 

Right on cue, Elizabeth called again. "Rodney, anything?"

"No!" He snapped, then he sighed a deep breath to calm himself. "Look, when we do find them," Because they so would. "You will be the first to know. Okay?"

"Okay." Elizabeth seemed to get the hint. "I'm just worried."

Teyla tapped into the channel. "We all are, but we will find them."

A moment of silence then Elizabeth replied, "I know you will. I'll let you get back to it." She signed off.

Rodney sighed again. If they didn't find them soon, he was going to start panicking.

Lorne tapped McKay on the shoulder. "Where to now?"

"I have no clue," Rodney admitted, shaking his life signs detector. Piece of crap was worthless.

"What do your instincts tell you?" Teyla countered, her hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently.

Rodney looked at her and saw worry in the dark gaze, but he could also see that she believed in him and he wasn't going to disappoint her. Or Sheppard and Ronon, for that matter. Puffing out his chest a little, Rodney took a moment to gather his composure, then he nodded to himself and strode off. His instincts were sending him back the way they came. They had run into a dead end but there was something drawing him back there. They had nothing else to go on, so Rodney was going to listen to what his gut was telling him. That Sheppard and Ronon were there, just waiting to be found.

OoO

John wondered how long they had been walking. It felt like hours and yet the corridor didn't seem to end. They turned and curved at times and he was beginning to think they were just making one giant circle around Altantis. He really hoped they weren't. Ronon was limping badly, leaning more and more heavily on John, and his own aches and pains were making themselves felt, particularly his head ache. Pain was throbbing in his temples, keeping beat with his heart, and it was starting to make him feel nauseous.

"Break time," John stated, inching Ronon over to the wall. He eased the Satedan down, plopped down beside him while stifling a moan, then reached for his water bottle. He watched Ronon grab his own. "How's the leg?"

"Hurts," Ronon grunted. "How's the head?"

John almost managed a grin at that. Ronon didn't miss anything. "Hurts," he allowed.

Ronon was silent for a time, maybe five minutes, then he started struggling to get on his feet.

"What are you doing?" John was content to sit there for a couple of hours. Although he wished he'd thought to bring a powerbar or two with him.

"We need to keep moving or we'll get too stiff to move." As he spoke, Ronon managed to get to his feet. He then reached down, gripped John by the arm and hauled him up with far too much ease for someone who was injured.

It ruffled John a bit that Ronon could manhandle him so easily, but he shrugged it off. For now. They had more pressing concerns at the moment. "Okay, we keep going," he said, since they really didn't have a choice. So he slung Ronon's arm over his other shoulder this time and they headed off.

After a time John thought he heard something. A whooshing sound maybe.

Ronon interrupted his listening. "Feels like we're in a maze," he stated.

"Yeah, I was kinda thinking the same thing," John replied. He was going share his belief that they were circumfrencing Atlantis, when he heard the noise again. Only louder.

"Do you hear that?" Ronon interjected, his body tensing.

John was about to reply when it hit him what it was. The sound of water. Rushing water. "Oh shit!" he hissed, as the first wave came around the far corner. It swirled around them so fast that John couldn't even get them turned to head the other way. He found himself stumbling in the waist high water, gripping Ronon for support as much as Ronon was gripping him for the same. But in the end it was a moot gesture. The second wave came, higher than the first, slamming into them like a cement wall.

Sucking in a breath, John tried to keep a hold on Ronon, not wanting them to be separated. But the last thing he remembered, before darkness claimed him, was the pain of Ronon being ripped out of his grasp.

Then John was being swept away.

**THE END...of part 2**


	3. Chapter 3

So many awesome reviews, so little time, so I'll just say here THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! You are all so incredibly awesome!! And sorry that it's a little short. Time for writing is hard to come by and I wanted to get this out to you. 

**GAME OVER...part 3**

Rodney was becoming frustrated. He felt it, in his bones, that Sheppard and Ronon were behind the wall. Which made no sense, since they couldn't walk through walls and he couldn't find a door or opening anywhere. But he was positive they had to get through the wall to get to them. 

"We need to look somewhere else," Major Lorne piped up. "We've wasted over an hour on a dead end." 

"We will move on when Dr. McKay is ready," Teyla interjected. 

For which Rodney was grateful. He didn't need anyone to fight his battles for him, unless they were physical battles at times, and he had Ronon for that. Teyla and Sheppard too, if need be. But he was still pleased as punch that Teyla had jumped in to defend him, even though he was beginning to think Lorne was right. They were wasting time. Time that could be very precious to Sheppard and Ronon, especially given Sheppard's capacity for finding trouble. And danger. Rodney couldn't forget about how Sheppard seemed to attract danger like a magnet. 

Shaking his head at his, unproductive, thoughts, Rodney once again turned his attention to the wall. He was sure they were behind it. Somewhere. He ran his hands over the surface, trying to detect some change, or a seam that would lead to an opening. 

"What are you looking for, Rodney?" Carson queried, moving up beside him. 

"An opening," Rodney replied, his tone suggesting that it should have been obvious. 

Carson made a face, studied Rodney for a moment, then set his hands against the wall and started searching as well. At one point their hands nearly connected and in that moment an opening formed and they both jumped back, nearly stumbling over each other in their haste. 

Lorne looked the most surprised. "I'll be damned," he muttered. 

"Told you!" Rodney couldn't help himself. He had to say it. Although, he was almost as surprised as the others. "Let's go," he stated, making a move towards the opening. 

Teyla pulled him back. "We must contact Elizabeth first, and then Major Lorne or I should go first." 

Rodney opened his mouth to argue with her, but realized she was right. On all points. So he nodded then tapped his ear piece. "Elizabeth, we found an opening that might lead to Sheppard and Ronon and we're heading through. We'll contact you in an hour, or sooner, if we find them right away." Which was what Rodney was hoping they would do. A quick find and a fast return to the others, then maybe a little exploration of this area at a later date. He was pretty sure since it was so carefully hidden, that it would reveal something useful to them. Eventually. No doubt Sheppard was finding all kinds of cool stuff to taunt Rodney with. 

"Copy that, Rodney," Elizabeth replied. "Good luck." 

"We'll probably need it," Rodney responded. He tapped off then looked at Lorne. "You first," he invited, with a dramatic wave of one hand. 

Lorne gave him a suspicious look, but then he hefted his P-90 and stepped through. 

In short order, Rodney, Carson and Teyla followed. When the opening slid closed behind them, Rodney swallowed a gulp and tried to ignore the warning bells that were clanging loudly in his head. Sheppard and Ronon needed him. Again. So Rodney dug out his scanner and tried to focus. Come hell or high water, he was going to find them. 

OoO 

After Rodney signed off, Elizabeth started pacing. Sheppard and Ronon were missing and now she had to hope that the same thing wouldn't happen to Rodney and his team of rescuers. To that end, Elizabeth realized she had another question to ask him. She tapped her com and waited. "Rodney, it's Elizabeth. Come in." Nothing. She tapped again. Still nothing. So she went to Chuck and had him try to contact Rodney and the others. 

After a few minutes, Chuck shook his head at her. "They must be out of communication range." 

"This isn't good," Elizabeth muttered, even as she tapped her com to contact Zelenka. 

OoO 

John didn't want to move. He felt achy all over and it hurt to breathe. Not only that but he felt nauseous. And nausea won out, sending him rolling to his side spewing water, coughing and gagging for what felt like forever, making his lungs ache and pain spike through his head with each gasp and choke. Finally it stopped and he flopped back down, whimpering a bit. He was trembling too, and it took a moment for him to realize that he was wet. "C-cold," he muttered, meaning it to be a curse, but his lips felt numb. 

That's when he felt it, a blast of heated air rushing over his body. It helped his shivers since it didn't stop, it just kept brushing over him as if someone were using a giant blow dryer to warm and dry him. Thankfully, it was working. Well enough that he slid into an uneasy slumber, his mind taunting him that he'd forgotten something, only he couldn't remember what it was. 

Some time later he jerked awake with a start. "Ronon!" That's what he'd forgotten. Dammit! And how the hell could he forget his friend?

Pushing himself into a sitting position, John tried to ignore the way his body was screaming at him to stay down and still. His muscles felt as sluggish as his mind, but he was starting to remember what happened. They had been hit by a flood of water and swept away. But to where? "Please let Ronon be alive," John whispered, as he somehow managed to get to his feet. 

It was light where he was, which turned out to be a huge, glass-enclosed, dome-shaped room. To his right was a tube like thing that reminded John of a casket. In the tube was Ronon. Body still complaining, John made it over to the tube, pressing his hands to it and willing it to open. Nothing happened. "Ronon!" he shouted, but the Satedan just lay there, as still as stone. 

"Will you play the game?" It was the same voice as before. 

"What the hell did you do to Ronon?" John shot back, searching the room for the hologram figure from before. But no one appeared. 

However, the voice did speak again, as the floor opened and a chair rose up from beneath. A chair very similar to the other one on Atlantis. Only smaller. "Will you play the game?" The voice asked again, it's tone never changing from it's neutral tinniness. 

John didn't know what to say, or what do do. But he needed to find out about Ronon. So he went to the chair. Maybe if he sat in it he could communicate better. Maybe he could even find a way to contact Elizabeth or Rodney. So he stumbled onto the mini platform and slumped into the chair. Straightening up as best his body would allow, John settled his feet flat on the floor and his palms on the arm rests. Instantaneously, thick bands curved over his wrists and ankles. He was too startled to move at first, but then he was tugging at them, trying to break free. They wouldn't budge. The creepy thing about it was the way they conformed to his flesh. It was painful if he kept trying, abrading his skin a bit, but the bands were warm and flexible, moving with him. That didn't stop him from struggling against them until he was too exhausted to do more than slump against the chair. 

"What the hell are you doing?" John hissed, wanting to yell but lacking the energy. Although he was pretty sure his tone of voice gave away how pissed he was. Only he didn't get an answer. After a moment he demanded, "What do you want from me?" 

"For you to play the game," came the reply. 

John wanted to scream in frustration, instead he tugged against his restraints again, gave up after a minute and countered with, "What if I don't want to play the game?" 

There was a moment of silence, then the voice replied, "You must play or forfeit. Those are the rules." 

"Not my rules!" John shot back. Then he shifted gears, so to speak. "Is my friend alive." 

"There have been no casualties," the voice replied. "The game has not yet started. But the players are ready." 

Before John could ask what that meant, a holographic screen appeared before him. It was roughly the size of a 70 inch TV screen. To John's surprise, he found himself looking at Rodney, Teyla, Carson and Major Lorne. They were geared up and given the scanner in Rodney's hand, it was obvious they were looking for something. John didn't have to be a genius to know that they were searching for him and Ronon. He wondered if he could contact them. Closing his eyes, John concentrated, willing Rodney to hear him. Willing any one of them to hear him. 

For a moment he thought it might have worked when Rodney's head suddenly snapped up. But John realized he couldn't hear what they were saying, although Rodney looked like he was yelling at Lorne. It hit him in that moment that they were in the room he and Ronon had started out in, but it was empty now. No holograph. No anything. But John still felt fear ripple down his spine. Fear for them. "What are you doing?" he asked, and it was almost pleading. 

"Will you play the game?" the voice countered. 

"What game?" Maybe he could figure out a way to play and get them all out of this mess. 

There was a long moment of silence, during which John watched the others on the screen until the screen flickered out. "What's going on?" 

The voice sounded almost huffy when it replied, "You must play the game or forfeit." 

"What happens if I forfeit?" John asked, although a part of him really didn't want to know. 

His answer came in the form of a loud, echoey, thudding sound. A beat. It sounded like a heart beat. 

"What is that?" John asked, knowing for sure he wouldn't like the answer. 

"The one you call Ronon," the voice replied. And as it spoke, the thudding slowed. 

John realized it was Ronon's heartbeat and that it was being slowed down. He looked over to the tube and he saw the Satedan shifting. He was alive, but not for long. "Stop that!" John shouted. He was relieved when the heartbeat sound returned to normal before fading away. To his relief, Ronon was still shifting, before lying still again. "Is he alive?" 

"Will you play the game?" The voice countered. 

"What is the game?" John had a feeling he didn't have a choice about playing, but he would at least go into this knowing how to play. 

The voice took a moment to reply. It sounded almost pleased now, which was slightly better than sounding neutral or pissed. "You control the players and you must bring them through the maze, to this place, alive." 

John understood what he was being told, but he did have an issue with one thing. "What do you mean I control the players?" 

The screen flickered back to life and John watched as a beam of white light started zappping around Rodney and the others. "What the hell is that?" John hissed, feeling his body go tense as Teyla barely jumped out of the way. Lorne was not so lucky. He took a hit in the shoulder and went down. "What happened?" John was shouting now. 

"You did not protect him," the machine replied. 

"So...so I'm controlling Lorne?" John asked, hoping he was catching on quick. 

The voice made a noise that sounded almost like a laugh. "You control them all. Are you ready to play now?" 

John felt a cold chill rush through him. How the hell was he supposed to control the actions of four people and keep them alive. He had no doubt but that the game would be deadly and dangerous, if what he and Ronon had gone through was anything to go by. But he also realized he had no choice. "Give me a minute," he begged. 

His answer was to see a number appear on the corner of the screen. A green 60. He blinked and it started counting down. 

"Shit," John muttered, because he knew this wasn't going to go well. He prayed that in - he glanced at the screen - 50 seconds he would wake up and find out this was nothing more than a bad dream. 

**THE END...of part 3**


	4. Chapter 4

Since I don't trust FF anymore and time is scarce, I'll just say THANK YOU to everyone here. You're awesome reviews keep me going. And those of you still following Among the Ruins, I am going to finish that. Right after I finish this one. This is short, but I hope you like.

**GAME OVER...part 4**

"What the hell is going on?" Rodney demanded, from where he was huddled on the floor, trying to protect himself. Thankfully, the lightning like blasts had stopped, but not before nailing Lorne. He watched Carson scuddle across the floor to check on the Major.

"He's still breathing!" Carson announced, after an excruciating moment of silence.

Rodney felt relief wash over him, for many reasons. Not the least of which was that Lorne was supposed to be protecting them. He couldn't do that if he was dead. "So, he's okay then?"

Carson narrowed his eyes at Rodney. "He just got hit by what looked like lightning, Rodney. So, no, I don't think he's okay!"

"I'm good." Lorne coughed after he spoke, but he managed to almost sit up until Beckett pushed him back down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Carson demanded, trying to get Lorne to lie back down.

But Lorne was determined to get to his feet. "I'm okay, just a bit tingly," he insisted.

Teyla came over to help him all the way to his feet. She had been circling the room, weapon at the ready. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said quietly.

"Really?" Rodney let his sarcasm echo through the room.

"Can you get us out of here?" Lorne asked McKay.

Rodney sighed. "I'm sure I can...eventually. But at the moment I don't see any doors. Do you?" Which was freaking him out a bit. He wasn't claustrophobic so to speak, but he really hated the idea of being closed in anywhere for long periods of time. Especially when there was a chance he might be hit by lightning, or what passed for lightning.

Lorne locked eyes with Rodney. "Do what you can," he requested, as he made his own tour of the room.

"Right." Rodney grabbed his scanner and followed him.

OoO

It wasn't a dream. The timer counted down to zero and in that moment John shouted, "Wait!"

"Are you ready to play?" the voice asked him.

"Why is this happening?" John countered. He realized he was going to have to play, but maybe it would help if he understood why. Maybe he could get a clue as to how to stop what was happening before it was too late.

The hologram was silent for a moment, then it almost sounded puzzled as it spoke. "It is the game. It must be played. You entered the chamber, so now you must play. That is the rule."

John grimaced. There were always stupid rules, hence why he usually hated the damn things. "Who made the rules?" he prompted.

"The game keeper."

"Who is the game keeper?" John thought maybe he was finally getting somewhere. Then, in a corner of the big screen, an image formed. A man with silver hair and dressed in rich blue robes was staring back him.

There was another moment of silence, then the voice said, "Now you have seen the game keeper. Are you ready to play?"

John felt the need to keep stalling. "What's his name?" As he asked, he glanced over at Ronon's tube and he was surprised to see the Satedan staring back at him. Ronon's face was pale and he looked strained. John realized he was trying to move. He wondered if he could help him. The voice had told him he had control over the players and he figured that included Ronon. So he closed his eyes and concentrated on helping Ronon move.

There was a muffled shout and John's eyes flew open. Ronon was in motion, hands pressed against the glass, pushing hard against it.

"Yes!" John hissed under his breath. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on helping Ronon open the tube. There was a cracking sound, then a whoosh of air, then Ronon was lying on the floor in a heap. Apparently his legs were a bit rusty. But he was out of the tube and that was pretty much all John cared about at the moment. "You okay?" he asked.

"Been better," Ronon replied, as he rose shakily to his feet.

It occurred to John, in that moment, just how messed up they were. He was being forced to participate in a game where his friends lives were at stake. A game where the rules weren't very clear. Which meant he would have to change the rules, to his advantage. Anyway that he could. And he felt he had a pretty big advantage, if luck was on his side. Atlantis.

From the moment John had stepped foot through the gate and into Atlantis, he had felt a connection to the place. He reached for that connection now, feeling something settle over him. A warm peacefulness. He felt suddenly calm and serene and suddenly aware of the power he had at his control. This was a game he could, and would, win.

Inside his head was the soft, echoey, reminder that this was a game. It reminded John of a fantasy game he had played a few years back, before coming to Atlantis. It got boring in Antarctica, she he'd played alot of video games. His favorite had been one where his character was a wizard. A wizard with healing powers. The other thing about the game, that John was wondering about now, is that it wasn't real. And maybe none of this was real either. So maybe he could heal.

"Sheppard?"

He looked up to see Ronon standing just to his left, face pale, eyes glazed with both worry and pain. John needed to take away the pain. "Ronon..." he began, only to be interrupted.

"Are you ready to play the game?" asked the voice, loudly enough that it echoed through the room.

"Almost," John replied, then he closed his eyes and concentrated, He didn't have time to explain what he was doing, besides which, the odds were it wasn't going to work anyway. But John imagined Ronon's leg being strong and firm again. He imagined dulling the pain, praying all the while that, if this did work, he didn't end up causing more damage. John was no fool. He knew he couldn't actually heal Ronon, but maybe he could make him more mobile.

A howl from the Satedan made John open his eyes. He saw Ronon hunched over, clutching his leg. "Ronon?" he whispered.

Straightening, Ronon locked eyes with Sheppard. "What did you do?" he hissed.

"How's the leg?" John was almost afraid to ask.

"You have a plan?" Ronon countered, bouncing on the leg in question to show that it was better.

John figured the voice would be able to hear him, but he didn't care. "Protect the other's," he ordered, then he closed his eyes and concentrated. He envisioned a door opening, and he didn't have to look to know it had worked.

"Watch yourself!" Ronon shouted, his heavy footsteps sounding as he ran towards the exit.

"You too!" John shouted back, opening his eyes just in time to see Ronon reach the door. Which started to fade closed. John held his breath as Ronon leaped through it.

The voice was back and it was suddenly furious. The emotion almost defeaning. "What are you doing?" it thundered.

Even as John watched, the image of the gamekeeper appeared. The image looked muderous.

"I'm evening the odds!" John snapped, feeling a sense of satisfaction. He knew he would have to play the game. But now it was going to be on his terms.

**THE END...of part 4**


	5. Chapter 5

**GAME OVER...part 5**

Rodney was muttering to himself, staring at his scanner and thinking that things couldn't possibly get any worse, when he smacked into something big and solid. Stumbling back with an "Ow!", he was suprised to find Ronon looming over him. "How? Where? How?" He stuttered.

Ronon looked grim. "Don't really have time to explain," he stated, turning a bit as his gaze shifted over the others. "Everyone okay?"

"No, we're not okay!" Rodney huffed. "Somebody is trying to kill us!"

"I know that," Ronon replied, as he began herding Rodney towards the nearest wall, gesturing for the others to join them. "We have to go."

Rodney stared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?" If he hadn't run into the big guy, Rodney would have been tempted to believe that Ronon was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Or, rather, a figment of everyone's imagination, since the other's could see him too. When Ronon simply glared down at him, Rodney shook his head. "Go where?" He gestured to the four walls surrounding them. "There are no doors, genius! We're trapped!"

Ronon scowled at him. "Sheppard will take care of that."

"Where is the Colonel?" Carson interjected, ever the concerned physician. And friend. "Is he allright?"

Before Ronon could reply, a blast of energy slammed into the wall next to them.

"Shit!" Rodney dropped to the floor, trembling, too terrified to move.

OoO

John watched the gamekeeper with one eye. He wasn't sure what the hologram was capable of and he didn't want to risk the GameKeeper's wrath falling on his friends. So he kept one eye on the screen and he saw his friends getting blasted again. They would die if he didn't do something. So John focused on opening a door for them to escape through. He watched it appear, watched his friend's reactions. Watched Ronon guiding everyone through it. Then he saw the GameKeeper notice what he'd done and John quickly dissolved the door. Now his attention was on the gamekeeper, although a part of him was focused on keeping his friends safely hidden. To that end he made the screen turn black, almost shaking with relief that it worked.

"The game is not played this way!" screamed the Game Keeper. "You must follow the rules!"

"I am following the rules," John shot back, trying to hide a grimace as pain lanced through his temples. Keeping his friends hidden wasn't easy to do, especially when he wasn't sure how successful at it he was being. And it was even more difficult when he was trying to get the bonds holding him to loosen, without being obvious about what he was doing. So John focused on ignoring the pain, forcing a smirk as he faced the Game Keeper. "I'm playing by my rules, now," he stated. "Let my friends go and we'll call this game a tie!" He figured that was fair enough for both sides, so to speak.

But before the Game Keeper could respond, John's bindings fell away. He was free. He was also completely stunned that his efforts had worked, so he simply sat there for a moment, frozen. But then he pushed out of the chair.

Which sent the Game Keeper into a fury. "If you stop the game now, you're friends will die!" he bellowed.

"Dammit!" John hissed, dropping back down into the chair. Maybe blackening the screen wasn't such a good idea, because now he wasn't sure what was happening to his friends. So to that end he tried to send out feelers to Ronon, like he had before. But he had a few questions for the Game Keeper while he was at it. "Why are you doing this?" John demanded. "And who are you really? Game Keeper is just some bullshit title! This isn't a game you bastard! You're messing with people's lives!" Anger raged through John as he spoke. Anger at the game, and the game's creator, and at himself. John blamed himself for the predicament his friends found themselves in, and he would do whatever it took to keep them safe from harm.

"I am Roarke," the hologram announced. "And this game is the ultimate challenge. It is about life and death, which we all face. I have never lost the game."

John laughed at that and he was pretty sure Roarke scowled at him. Which was rather creepy. "Really?" he countered, sounding as condescending as he could. "Because from where I'm sitting, you look like nothing more than a freaking hologram. You're light beams and sound waves and stuff, not flesh and blood. What you are doesn't count as living where I come from."

The insult, as it was intended to be, appeared to hit it's mark. Roarke moved closer to John and he almost crackled with anger, to the point where John could feel it vibrating between them. "The spirit is life, not the body," Roarke replied. "My sentience is one with Atlantis. She is my body, so to speak."

"Oh." John hadn't seen that coming and he was afraid that if it were true, then he and everyone in Atlantis was in big trouble. So he risked dropping his focus off Roarke for a moment, so he could connect with the city. It shocked John when he felt a sudden wave of cold anger. Atlantis was pissed as hell. Only, thankfully, it didn't seem to be directed at him.

Opening his eyes, John grinned at Roarke. "I don't think Atlantis likes you," he taunted.

Roarke's image wavered and almost disappeared for a moment. "She obeys me!" he snarled.

"You sure about that?" John shot back, because he was still fully connected with Atlantis, which was cool beyond belief. In fact she was allowing him to fully multi-task. He was able to focus on Roarke but, at the same time, he was now able to sense the others. He knew their location and he made contact with Ronon, feeling the Satedan's surprise. He spoke to Ronon in his head, praying his team mate would hear him.

_"Follow my lead," John sent to him._

He wanted to say more. He wanted to let Ronon know that he was searching for a way to get them out of this area and back somewhere safe. But Roarke seemed to sense what John was doing. Without warning the Game Keeper screamed and in that moment John felt pain sizzle through his body. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, but everything started fading into black.

OoO

Ronon led the way down a long, curving, shadowy corridor. He had no idea where he was going, whether it led into danger or a dead end, but he kept going. He sensed it was the right way to go.

From behind him, Rodney piped up, "What the hell is going on here?"

"Don't know much," Ronon replied.

"Tell us what you can," Teyla prompted, from her position in the rear. She was trying to keep an eye on Lorne who was weaving a bit.

Ronon considered what to tell them, then decided on just revealing everything that had happened to him and Sheppard. He ended with how the Colonel had healed his leg.

Carson was astounded. "You were injured? Let me check it. You should have said something."

"It feels fine," Ronon said, because it did. Because it felt better the more he kept using it. It didn't make sense that Sheppard could heal him, but Ronon wasn't going to question it. He was up to par again, which meant he could protect the others. That's what Sheppard wanted him to do, so that's what he was going to do. So he nudged Beckett away from him when the doctor started hovering. "You can fuss later," he told them. "When we're all out of here." He was including Sheppard.

"So, you're saying we're a part of some game?" Lorne queried, using the fact that they had stopped walking for the moment to slump against the wall.

Ronon shrugged. "Something like that."

Carson sighed. "I don't like games."

"You suck at games," Rodney stated, smirking a bit, until reality seemed to hit him. "This Game Keeper person might kill us! Oh my god! Doesn't he know we're real? That we're real people and if he kills us we'll really be dead?" Panic was clear in his tone and glittering in his eyes and he started pacing, nervously, bumping into Carson and not even apologizing.

"Colonel Sheppard will take out this Game Keeper guy," Lorne said firmly, giving Rodney the evil eye. Or trying too. Rodney was too busy mumbling to himself to pay attention.

Before Ronon could snap at McKay the lights went out, plunging them into complete darkness. There was a moment of heavy silence, where only the sound of their breathing could be heard, when Rodney timidly whispered,

"This can't be good."

OoO

John came back to his senses with an almost jolt. A painful jolt at that. Roarke was pacing in front of him, ranting and raving and sort of fading in and out of being. Pain made John grit his teeth as he straightened himself in the chair. Then he felt a sort of tingly and realized that Atlantis was trying to help him.

His thoughts went immediately to his friends, so John closed his eyes and focused on them. And suddenly the image of them appeared in his head. His eyes flew open and he looked at the screen. It was still blank. John closed his eyes again and realized the image was in his head. And that it looked kinda fuzzy. Mentally he reached out to them.

"Guys?"

"Sheppard?" It was Ronon.

Relief washed over John. "You okay? Everyone?"

There was a strange banging sound then Rodney's loud exclamation. "No! We're not okay! We're in the dark!"

"What?" That surprised John.

"There is no light, John," Teyla interjected. "Can you help us?"

John wondered how to answer her. He concentrated on making things brighter, but it would have helped if he knew where they were and why it was dark. To his susprise, Atlantis was there, guiding him. Explaining to him in his head without a word. They were in the dark, more or less, because he was. Which made John focus harder. 

"Thanks, Sheppard," Ronon suddenly stated.

"We have light." That was Rodney. "How did he do that?" Then louder. "How are you doing that?"

John knew that the question was directed at him. He didn't have an answer so he made one up. One guaranteed to irriate Rodney. "Magic," he replied. "So, you guys okay now?"

Rodney snorted. "We'd be better if we weren't stuck here."

"Working on that," John said, even as he sensed that something wasn't right. He opened his eyes to see Roarke almost hovering over him. Which made John lose his connection with his friends.

"You have turned her against me!" Roarke roared, his image so faded now that he was almost transparent.

John didn't have to ask what he meant. He knew Roarke was talking about Atlantis and he wasn't sorry. He shrugged. "What can I say? She likes me better."

Roarke didn't get angrier, like John figured he would. Instead he looked amused. Dangerously so. "That means nothing, Sheppard. I am stronger than the both of you. I shall bend her to my will."

"What does that mean exactly?" John prompted, a bad feeling forming in his gut.

"You shall soon see," Roarke whispered, then he simply vanished in a shimmer of light.

John did not like the sound of that.

"Sheppard?" It was Ronon again.

"Yeah, what?" John was too distracted, and too worried about what was obviously a threat from Roarke, to be polite.

It was Teyla who responded. "Are you all right, John?"

He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, telling himself to remain calm. He had to be in control here. John knew Roarke was going to do something and that it would be something bad. He had to be ready to deal with it. "I'm fine," he said, reassuringly. "I just need to get you guys out of there."

"That would be nice," Rodney piped up, dripping sarcasm. "And if you could get my equipment to work, that would be even better."

"I'll see what I can do," John quipped, focusing half his attention back on his team. He was still fully connected to Atlantis and he asked her to help him find a way out for his friends. A moment later, John saw the schematics of where they were in his head and it didn't take long for him to send the information into the scanner Rodney held. He knew Rodney had modified it a long time ago, so that it would act as a navigational tool, among other things. "Your scanner should be working again," John said, lifting one hand to rub at his forehead. It was getting easier to do things, with Atlantis's help, but it still hurt.

Rodney looked surprised, but he stared at the screen a moment, punched a few buttons, then smiled. "I take it we follow the red line?"

John chuckled. "Yeah. I thought about making it yellow, but it was a lame joke."

"When aren't your jokes lame?" Rodney shot back.

"Rodney!" Carson chided him. Then he turned his attention to John. "How are you doing, Colonel? You sound tired."

It never ceased to amuse John how Beckett couldn't seem to turn off his mother mode. "I'm fine. I'll be perfect when you guys get out of there."

Rodney grunted at that. "Captain Obvious, you are." He was pointing the scanner to his left, then he started walking. "Follow me," he told the others. Then he looked up, as if he thought he might see John by doing so. "Unless you can beam us out of here, Scotty."

"Would that I could," John replied, not taking offense. But he really rather wished he could do just that. Beam them all to safety.

Rodney smirked then started walking again, only to smack into something and cry out. A wall had suddenly appeared before him. "Uh oh," he whispered.

John didn't like what he was seeing, especially when he realized that his friends were suddenly boxed in. Literally. They looked like they were in a giant box.

"This is so not good," Rodney whispered.

"Can't budge it," Ronon commented, pressing hard against it with his shoulder.

Lorne was trying the same thing across from him. "I think we're boxed in," he stated.

John knew this was Roarke's doing. He was just about ask Atlantis to fix it when Teyla started coughing. Then Rodney followed suit. Then the others. "What's going on?" John shouted, almost leaping out of the chair. But he remembered to stay put because he was pretty sure the Chair was his connection to Atlantis.

"Air," Rodney replied. "No air." He had fallen to his knees.

Carson soon followed him, then the others. Ronon was the last one down.

John thought he could see them turning blue. "NO!" He shouted. "NO! STOP IT!" He pounded his fists on the arms of the chair, knowing it wasn't helping to yell, but feeling himself slipping into a full blown panic. But his friends were still suffocating, so John did the only thing he could think of. He focused on Atlantis, begging for her help, then he concentrated on sending air to his friends. At the same time he imagined the box disappearing. Only it wasn't and John realized just how much control Roarke did have. But he wasn't giving up.

Concentrating harder, John willed the box to fill with air. He felt almost sick with relief when his friends seemed to suck in a collective breath of air, then all of them started coughing. "Rodney? Teyla? You guys okay?" He heard the way his voice trembled, and told himself it was just from exertion. His entire body was shaking from his efforts.

"I believe we are...okay," Teyla replied, after a moment. She was slowing rising to her feet then went about helping Rodney to his.

Ronon was already up and pointing. "What's that?"

Everyone looked to see what he was pointing at. Which looked like a shimmery wall. Only it was all around them.

Lorne poked at it then laughed. "Tingles a bit."

"Can't push through it," Rodney commented, as he timidly pushed a finger into it. The more he tried the more intrigued he seemed to become. He pushed again, then held up his scanner. "It's a force field of some kind," he announced. "Filled with sweet, breathable, air."

"I feel rather like I'm in a bubble," Carson announced, his expression grim.

Rodney snorted at his friend, then explained. "In a way you are. It's just a vacuum-sealed bubble.

Lorne was suddenly grinning. "I take it we have you to thank for this, Colonel?" He was talking louder, as if to be sure John could hear him.

"Of course it's him," Rodney interjected. "I just don't understand how he's doing it."

That makes two of us," John replied, trying to keep from revealing how much pain he was in. Because right now he hurt like a sonofabitch. In fact, his head felt like it might burst from the pressure. Apparently Atlantis knew he was hurting, because he felt a warmth spread through him and the pain eased. It didn't disappear, but it eased enough that he felt like he could breathe again without wanting to hurl.

Wishing there was something more he could do to help his friends, John was startled when Rodney's radio beeped.

Then a familiar voice filled the air. "Rodney? Are you there?" It was Elizabeth.

Rodney fumbled with his ear piece. "Yes, yes! We're all here. How did you get through?"

"You tell me?" Weir sounded both relieved and exasperated. "We've been trying to contact you at five minute intervals for the last six hours."

"We have troubles!" Zelenka's voice interjected.

Rodney was the first to respond. "What kind of troubles?"

There was a torturous moment of silence before Zelenka replied. "Systems are randomly shutting off and on. I have no control over them. Environmental systems. Power systems. The importants things."

"Figures," Rodney sighed.

Before anyone else could comment, there was a loud boom. Loud enough and strong enough that they all felt it.

Carson found himself clinging to Teyla for support. "What was that?"

"I don't want to know!" Rodney shouted, eyeballing his scanner and not looking happy.

John had been listening to all of this. He knew that Roarke was trying to destroy Atlantis in an attempt to destroy everyone. He had no doubt but that the Game Keeper was petty enough to do such a thing. John just prayed he wasn't really powerful enough to make it happen.

To that end he made himself relax in the chair and deepen his connection to Atlantis. He ignored her pain, even while trying to buffer it, and he urged her to do the same. John knew he had to become one with Atlantis. He had no idea if that was even possible, or what it meant for either one of them if he succeeded, he just knew he had to try. Because he could feel Roarke trying to shut Atlantis down, system by system. He could see and feel Atlantis fighting back. He did what he could to help her, tuning everything, and everyone, else out.

Bit by bit he helped her to bring shut down systems back online, but making the repairs, diverting power, offering his own strength to Atlantis was taking it's toll on John. Everything hurt. But he knew he had to get control or Atlantis was doomed. No way in hell was he going to let Roarke do that. It didn't help, however, that Roarke was a part of Atlantis, which meant they had to cut him out somehow.

Some part of his mind was working towards that end. Towards finding a way to get rid of Roarke. It came to him in a flash, what they needed to do. _ "Follow my lead,"_ he told Atlantis. She let him know that she would do whatever he asked of her, which was both comforting and rather creepy. But he didn't let himself think about that.

John knew his idea was risky. He figured the only way to get Roarke out was to overload everything. Every system. Maybe that way they could burn Roarke out of existence. It was a long shot, but the only one they had, which Atlantis confirmed. She was willing to do this.

The had part was going to be keeping the balance. As one, he and Atlantis figured out what they needed to do. There was no thought or pattern or reason to how they worked. To the way Atlantis did repairs and John helped, even as he helped her to send power overloads to various systems, jumping ahead of Roarke and the damage the Game Keeper was creating. Atlantis was a hum in John's head, a warmth in his veins. She was every breath he took until he realized he was flying in the way that Atlantis flew. Soaring through her systems at the speed of light and beyond. He was every circuit, and he easily memorized every conduit he flowed through. It was exhilerating and terrifying and he would miss it when he was gone.

As John worked, he was unaware of the others.

Zelenka was keeping track of everything that happened and relaying what he could to Rodney. "Systems are overloading," he announced, his voice sharp and tight with fear.

"On no!" Rodney looked horrified as he punched buttons on his scanner. "I hope Sheppard knows what the hell he's doing!"

"What if it's not Sheppard doing this?" Ronon countered, because it was a reasonable question.

Rodney glared at him. "I hate you!" he snarled, because he couldn't even let himself think that way. If he did, he knew better than anyone how doomed they would be.

Teyla opened her mouth, no doubt to play peace keeper, when everything went black.

There was a moment of silence, suddenly broken by Lorne tapping his radio. "Zelenka? Dr. Weir?"

No response.

"Rodney?" Carson prompted, feeling around in the dark for his friend.

Fear rippled between them as Rodney tried to swallow the lump in his throat. It was like waiting for Armageddon. He could feel coldness seeping into his flesh. He could almost taste defeat. But he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, anymore than he wanted to die in the dark like this.

Before he could find the words, a flash of brilliant white light blinded them. Rodney heard the other's gasp, even as he heard his own cry of fear. Then he was blinking in the sudden brightness. It slowly faded to normal light and he found himself smiling as he realized he was still alive. They all were.

Elizabeth's voice crackled in their radios. "Rodney? Teyla? Are you there?"

"We're here," Rodney announced, unable to hide his glee.

But his joy was shortlived when Teyla suddenly called out, "John? Can you hear me?"

They all waited, holding their breath, for Sheppard to reply. There was nothing.

Even as Rodney started to turn, to look for a way out, the walls around them dissolved and they found themselves in the game room. Sheppard was slumped in the chair.

Ronon was the first to reach his side, followed closely by Carson. Ronon looked coiled tight, like he was ready to punch something.

The doctor reached for Sheppard's wrist, taking his pulse, even as he tapped the Colonel's cheek with his other hand. "Colonel Sheppard, lad. Can you hear me?"

John did hear him and he forced his eyes open, even though it hurt to do so. "G-game over?" he whispered, feeling tension coil in his belly. If he failed, then they were all doomed.

Carson looked at Rodney who had been conversing with Zelenka on his radio, while keeping one eye on Sheppard. "Systems are all back to normal," he announced.

"Game over, John," Teyla announced, from her spot where she had elbowed in next to Ronon. "Rest now."

"Nice going, Sheppard," Ronon said, offering a grim smile.

John tried to nod but everything was turning gray. He slid into shadows, then darkness.

"I need a gurney!" Carson shouted, not thinking to use his radio.

Lorne was ahead of him. "A gurney and a med team are on their way."

Carson was eyeing Sheppard with concern. "How long till they get here?"

Rodney answered. "Zelenka and I are trying to coordinate directions, but we're in uncharted territory here."

"Which translates into too long," Ronon stated. He pushed Carson aside and scooped John into his arms. He knew Sheppard would hate being carried, but it wasn't the first time he'd done it and Ronon doubted it would be the last. "I can get us back," Ronon assured Carson, as he headed out the door. He wasn't sure how he knew he could, he just knew. So he headed out the door, with John cradled safely in his arms.

OoO

John heard voices. They sounded a bit fuzzy and they were definitely annoying, but they drew him towards consciousness, none the less. His eyelids weren't being very cooperative though. They felt like they were glued together and he finally lifted a heavy hand to rub at them. Finally he was able to blink them open.

"He's awake," someone announced.

John recognized Rodney's voice. He blinked a few times and suddenly five fuzzy faces came into focus from where they circled his bed. He winced as he realized he was in the infirmary. He winced again when he realized he not only had an IV, but a catheter as well. Which meant he'd been out of it for a considerable amount of time. Before he could ask, Teyla was there with a cup of water and held the straw while he sipped.

She smiled and answered his question before he could ask it. "It's been almost thirty-two hours, John. How are you feeling?"

"Been better, been worse," he replied. His body ached all over, but it was managable. His head ached too, but it was a dull pain that was more annoying than anything else. Carson must have him on the good drugs. "Is the GameKeeper gone?" He looked at Rodney as he asked.

"From what Zelenka and I can tell, yes," Rodney replied. "We just can't figure out how you did it. I mean, obviously you overloaded the systems and burned him out. We ran scans and Atlantis is showing us what appears to be a virus that has now been neutralized. So to speak."

John felt like he could suddenly breathe better. He closed his eyes a moment, connecting with Atlantis, realizing he had been feeling her hum all along. She added her reassurances that she was okay and that Roarke was gone. "Good riddance then," John slurred. For someone who had just woken up, he was feeling sleepy again.

Carson noticed. "Rest is the best thing for you right now, Colonel," he said firmly. "You can tell us everything later. Much later. Right now I want you to sleep and when you wake up again I'm betting you'll feel more like a hot shower and a good meal."

"And no catheter," John interjected, because he really hated those things.

"Of course," Carson conceded. "Sleep now."

John started to close his eyes but he remembered one more thing. "Wait," he croaked, and all eyes turned upon him. "What about the other chair? We need to destroy it, just to make sure." He didn't want anything connected to the Game Keeper left behind.

Ronon chuckled. "Already taken care of. I blasted it."

"Good." John was pleased. He wanted to ask Rodney a few more things, but his eyelids were drooping and his tongue felt too thick to form words. He vaguely heard Carson shooing everyone out and Ronon arguing. Then a thump of a chair and his bed creaking and shifting a bit. He managed to prop one eye open to a slit to see Ronon sprawled out in a chair with his feet on the end of John's bed.

Ronon leaned forward and patted John on the leg. "Good game, Sheppard," he stated. "Get some sleep. You'll need it when we start running again."

John had a great come back for that, only he was too tired to spit it out. He'd have to remember it for later. Right now he was content to let Atlantis sing him to him, as he drifted off into sweet dreams.

**THE END**


End file.
